Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner has a heat source refrigerant circuit, utilization refrigerant circuits, a pressurizing circuit, and a cooler. The heat source refrigerant circuit is configured by an interconnection of a compression mechanism, a heat source heat exchanger, and a heat source expansion valve that reduces a pressure of refrigerant condensed in the heat source heat exchanger. The pressurizing circuit is disposed in the heat source refrigerant circuit and causes high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed in the compression mechanism to merge with a refrigerant having a pressure that is reduced in the heat source expansion valve. The refrigerant is sent to the utilization refrigerant circuits. The cooler cools the refrigerant having the pressure that is reduced in the heat source expansion valve.

1. An air conditioner comprising:
 a heat source refrigerant circuit configured by an interconnection of a compression mechanism, a heat source heat exchanger, and a heat source expansion valve that reduces a pressure of refrigerant condensed in the heat source heat exchanger when the heat source heat exchanger functions as a condenser; 
 one or more utilization refrigerant circuits connected to the heat source refrigerant circuit and configured by the interconnection of a plurality of utilization heat exchangers and a plurality of utilization expansion valves; 
 a pressurizing circuit disposed in the heat source refrigerant circuit and configured to cause high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed in the compression mechanism to merge with a refrigerant having a pressure that is reduced in the heat source expansion valve, the refrigerant being sent to the utilization refrigerant circuits; and 
 a cooler for cooling the refrigerant having the pressure that is reduced in the heat source expansion valve. 
 
   
   
     2. The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the pressurizing circuit is connected between the heat source expansion valve and the cooler such that the high-pressure gas refrigerant merges. 
 
   
   
     3. The air conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising p 1  a cooling circuit connected to the heat source refrigerant circuit such that some of the refrigerant sent from the heat source heat exchanger to the utilization refrigerant circuits branches from the heat source refrigerant circuit and is introduced to the cooler, and the cooler cools the refrigerant having a pressure that is reduced in the heat source expansion valve, the refrigerant being sent to the utilization refrigerant circuits and thereafter the cooled refrigerant being returned to an intake side of the compression mechanism. 
   
   
     4. The air conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising
 an oil returning circuit connected to a lower portion of the heat source heat exchanger and configured to return the refrigerating machine oil accumulating inside the heat source heat exchanger to the compression mechanism together with the refrigerant, the heat source heat exchanger functioning as an evaporator configured such that the refrigerant flows in from below and flows out from above, and 
 a combination of refrigerating machine oil and refrigerant that does not separate into two layers in a temperature range of 30° C. or below being used. 
 
   
   
     5. The air conditioner of  claim 2 , further comprising
 a cooling circuit connected to the heat source refrigerant circuit such that some of the refrigerant sent from the heat source heat exchanger to the utilization refrigerant circuits branches from the heat source refrigerant circuit and is introduced to the cooler, and the cooler cools the refrigerant having a pressure that is reduced in the heat source expansion valve, the refrigerant being sent to the utilization refrigerant circuits and thereafter the cooled refrigerant being returned to an intake side of the compression mechanism. 
 
   
   
     6. The air conditioner of  claim 2 , further comprising
 an oil returning circuit connected to a lower portion of the heat source heat exchanger and configured to return the refrigerating machine oil accumulating inside the heat source heat exchanger to the compression mechanism together with the refrigerant, the heat source heat exchanger functioning as an evaporator configured such that the refrigerant flows in from below and flows out from above, and 
 a combination of refrigerating machine oil and refrigerant that does not separate into two layers in a temperature range of 30° C. or below being used. 
 
   
   
     7. The air conditioner of  claim 3 , further comprising
 an oil returning circuit connected to a lower portion of the heat source heat exchanger and configured to return the refrigerating machine oil accumulating inside the heat source heat exchanger to the compression mechanism together with the refrigerant, the heat source heat exchanger functioning as an evaporator configured such that the refrigerant flows in from below and flows out from above, and 
 a combination of refrigerating machine oil and refrigerant that does not separate into two layers in a temperature range of 30° C. or below being used. 
 
   
   
     8. The air conditioner of  claim 5 , further comprising
 an oil returning circuit connected to a lower portion of the heat source heat exchanger and configured to return the refrigerating machine oil accumulating inside the heat source heat exchanger to the compression mechanism together with the refrigerant, the heat source heat exchanger functioning as an evaporator configured such that the refrigerant flows in from below and flows out from above, and 
 a combination of refrigerating machine oil and refrigerant that does not separate into two layers in a temperature range of 30° C. or below being used.